The present invention relates to macroscopic spherically formed copolycondensates of a tertiary organosiloxane amine with one or more siloxane components which exhibit process and application-technology advantages over previously developed organopolysiloxane copolycondensates (German patent application P 38 37 418 of Nov. 4, 1988). In another aspect, the present invention relates to methods according to which the new products can be manufactured not only in the spherical size and shape ideal for the particular applications but also with suitable physical qualities. In addition, methods of using these shaped organosiloxane amine copolycondensates constitute a further aspect of the invention.
Insoluble organosiloxane amines are described in German patent 31 20 214, which are distinguished by especially good chemical and physical properties, especially in comparison to analogous systems based on organic polymers as well as specially modified inorganic polymer systems. These organosiloxane amines can be used as weakly basic ion exchangers, as adsorbents, as active-substance carriers, as carriers of heterogenized complex catalysts or as heterogenous base in base-catalyzed reactions. The matrix of these products can be produced on a quasi made-to-measure basis as regards chemical and physical qualities and can thus be adapted to the requirements of the particular uses mentioned above by way of example. In order to do justice to the requirements of an industrial application, a forming or shaping method was also developed for these new polymers which makes it possible to produce these products not only in lumpy or powdery form but also in the advantageous spherical form. These formed organosiloxane amines are described in German patent application P 38 00 563.8. After it proved to be especially advantageous in various applications of the organosiloxanes to combine groups with different functions in one polymer matrix with each other, appropriate organosiloxane amine copolycondensates were developed and described in German patent application P 38 37 418.8. Synergistic effects, that is, actions which go beyond the sum of the actions of the individual components, can be produced by the combination of different functionalities, whereby at the same time other possibilities can be created by means of the different variants of the arrangement of the different functionalities in the polymer system, optionally in combination with cross-linking agents. However, it proved to be unfavorable in the meantime for these copolycondensates too that these products were previously able to be produced only in a relatively undefined geometric form and not in spherical form, which is advantageous for industrial application technology, with the desired physical and morphological qualities.